You must have completed at least one full semester with passing grades in a full load of courses (at least 12 credits) on the CU Boulder campus before you are eligible to go abroad on an Education Abroad program. Some programs require sophomore, second-semester sophomore or even junior standing. Students may meet the specific class standing requirement with a combination of credit earned at CU Boulder, earned at other institutions, and sometimes AP/IB credit.

Credit earned in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses may factor into your class standing (varies by program). You will still need to complete at least one semester of work on a college campus before studying abroad.

Please see additional information below under the incoming/transfer section.

It is strongly preferred that students complete a full load of academic coursework (at least 12 credits) in the semester prior to the experience abroad to ensure adequate preparation and maximum potential to succeed while abroad. Students may or may not be permitted to go abroad in the term following a full semester away from CU (or away from an academic institution), or a semester with less than 12 credits. Education Abroad staff will consider each case individually, with a focus on the academic performance in the most recent semester (among other factors). Students may be asked for additional information or documentation. Please note that students are very strictly required to enroll in at least 12 credits while abroad, and are not allowed to take a reduced course load (to meet immigration requirements, among other policies).

Many CU Boulder education abroad programs have required course prerequisites, either in language or various subject areas. If you have questions about whether you meet a prerequisite, talk with an advisor in the Education Abroad office. If you are accepted with a course pre-requisite in-progress, your acceptance will likely be over-turned if you do not successfully complete the course.

Your disciplinary record, both at CU and outside CU, can affect your eligibility to participate in an education abroad program. Education abroad is a privilege available to students who demonstrate that they have achieved a certain level of academic and personal maturity. If you have violated disciplinary rules to the extent that you are placed on Informal or Formal Probation, you may be required to go through additional steps to apply for an education abroad program. We encourage you to apply early as review of your application may take longer than normal and may include an interview.

Can I apply for a program and study abroad if I was on Informal Probation in a prior semester?

Yes. In your application you will be asked to provide a summary of your disciplinary record. This will be reviewed by a Program Manager in the CU Education Abroad office, and verified against the record at the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. The Program Manager will make a determination about how to proceed with an admission decision. Your Program Manager may request an interview to talk with you about your record in more depth. Typically, the education abroad organization, host institution, or program director abroad will be notified of your disciplinary status.

Can I apply for a program and go abroad if I'm currently on Informal Probation?

Yes*. Students who are currently on Informal Probation may apply to an education abroad program, and may be accepted. In your application you will be asked to provide a summary of your disciplinary record. This will be reviewed by a Program Manager in the CU Education Abroad office, and verified against the record at the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. The Program Manager will make a determination about how to proceed with an admission decision. It is possible that your Program Manager will request an interview with you to talk about your record in more depth. Typically, the education abroad organization, host institution, or program director abroad will be notified of your disciplinary status. In some cases, additional restrictions may be placed on your participation in the program at the discretion of the host institution and/or CU Boulder.

*As per Semester at Sea policy, students on Informal Probation may not participate in this program. Students will be dismissed from Semester at Sea should they be put on Informal or Formal Probation after the admission process.

Can I study abroad if I'm on Formal Probation?

No. Students who will be on Formal Probation during any portion of their prospective education abroad program are not eligible. Students on Formal Probation can, however, apply to participate in an education abroad program in a future semester, provided their Formal Probation will conclude prior to the start of their program. Documentation from the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution will be required.

Can I study abroad if I'm fully suspended from CU?

No. Students on full suspension are not eligible to go abroad, nor are they eligible to submit an application for an education abroad program.

What happens if I am placed on Informal Probation after I've already been accepted into my education abroad program?

Any sanctions that occur after students have been accepted into a program will be disclosed to the Education Abroad office by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. The incident will be reviewed, and acceptances will be re-considered. Students may be dismissed based on their disciplinary record depending on the severity of their actions. In some cases, additional restrictions may be placed on their participation in the program at the discretion of the host institution and/or CU Boulder.

What happens if I am placed on Formal Probation after I've already been accepted into my education abroad program?

Students who will be on Formal Probation during any portion of their time abroad will be immediately dismissed from the program, regardless of how soon their program begins.

Each program has a minimum GPA requirement that is stated on the individual program webpage. You should meet this requirement at the time of application. If you are a transfer student your transfer GPA may be considered in determining eligibility for a program, but your CU Boulder GPA will be considered primarily.

If your GPA is slightly below the stated requirement for your desired program, you should talk with an education abroad advisor to determine eligibility. Students whose GPA is 2.0 - 2.5 may still be able to apply through the GPA Access Abroad process.

If you are on academic probation at CU Boulder at the time of application, you are not eligible to apply. If you are placed on academic probation after you are accepted (when your most recent grades post), you will no longer be eligible for your program and will be dismissed.

You must maintain the required GPA until the start of your program. Students whose GPA drops significantly after acceptance but before going abroad could be dismissed.

Once accepted, you may also be dismissed if their GPA remains at/above the program's requirement, but you perform poorly in the semester prior to your departure. This could include low grades, failing grades, withdrawals, or a combination of these things.

* If you are slightly below the stated requirement for your desired program, you should talk with an education abroad advisor to determine eligibility.

Note that any outstanding/overdue balance on your CU Bursar's account must be paid well before you depart for your program abroad. We will check student balances as part of the registration process for the Education Abroad placeholder course. If a balance exists, we will contact you to discuss your options and whether or not you need to withdraw from your program. If you anticipate having a balance that you cannot pay prior to your departure, please contact your Education Abroad Program Manager (ideally, prior to committing to your program).

International students are welcome to study abroad during their time at CU. You should begin discussing study abroad plans early with both Education Abroad and International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS), as your timeline may be quite a bit lengthier than that of a U.S. citizen studying abroad. You should also be prepared for a few extra steps compared with your U.S. peers. Please read through our FAQs for International Students carefully and reach out with any questions.

Students must complete one semester (fall or spring) of classes on the CU Boulder campus before going abroad on an Education Abroad program. This entails taking a full load of classes at CU Boulder and passing/completing all classes (in addition to achieving any required GPA for your program - see above). Incoming students (with no previous college-level credit) are eligible to go abroad during the summer after they have completed one year of CU Boulder courses. Transfer students with at least 12 transfer credits can go abroad during their second term at CU Boulder provided that they complete/pass their first term of CU Boulder courses. (for example, attend CU Boulder in the fall semester and go abroad in the spring). Incoming/transfer students cannot go abroad in their very first semester as CU Boulder students.

Students attending other University of Colorado schools (UCD or UCCS) or other institutions are eligible to apply to a few select Global Seminar programs. If you are interested in a specific Global Seminar, please email us to determine if the program has available space and is able to consider students from other campuses (see "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page). If you are a non-CU Boulder student and interested in one of our other programs (i.e. an exchange or provider program), you should contact the institution or program directly to discuss applying/participating.